


She Will Always Be A Broken Girl

by amathela



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: F/F, Flirting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-04-23
Updated: 2008-04-23
Packaged: 2017-11-16 16:20:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 703
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/541443
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amathela/pseuds/amathela
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>She's not really any better at this, except it's better than rusted underground chambers and rope swings over bottomless chasms.</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	She Will Always Be A Broken Girl

**Author's Note:**

> Spoilers up to episode _4:16 - Trio._

The mess is empty when they get there, quiet except for the occasional snippet of conversation from passing groups. Rodney smiles kind of nervously as she sits down, places the bottle on the table between them. It isn't exactly beer, and Rodney isn't buying, but she did promise Zelenka Rodney's next shipment of chocolate from the Daedalus, so maybe that's good enough.

Jennifer bites back a grimace as she takes the first swig, and hands the bottle to Rodney. He studies it as if it's some sort of alien specimen.

"It won't kill you," she says finally, trying to keep the laughter from her voice. The look he shoots her says otherwise, but he doesn't complain as he takes a drink; his expression says enough.

"You couldn't have found, I don't know, beer?"

She could have. More to the point, he could have, but he'd made no move to offer, and she thinks maybe he really is worse at this than she is.

But she shrugs instead of answering, and takes another drink. It isn't so bad, really; after the week she's had, the sudden tingling sensation in her extremities is actually kind of welcome.

They've run out of things to say by the time the bottle's made its fourth round, which is as much her fault as it is his. She's not really in the mood for tales of thrilling heroics - her own experiences have been bad enough - and she suspects he really isn't interested in the details of her residency. Neither of them are drunk enough to reminisce over the things they miss most about Earth, and they don't have the props for her to demonstrate more bar tricks. She's about to suggest they make up their own Atlantis drinking game when she sees Sam, hobbling slowly towards them from the doorway, and she tries not to think of it too much like salvation.

Rodney actually jumps up from his seat, almost sending his chair flying backwards, and Jennifer reaches clumsily for the bottle across the table. She'd laugh, except she's not quite sure what she's laughing at; Sam's got this smile on her face as she sits down, and Rodney's silence is more strained than ever.

"Got enough to share?" Sam asks, and Jennifer passes her the bottle; her fingertips graze lightly over Sam's skin, and it's a good thing they were already tingling.

"Are you sure you should be out of bed?" Rodney asks, his gaze falling to Sam's leg. She takes a drink, and shrugs.

"I've had worse. What do you think?"

Right. Sam's asking her. Because she's a doctor. "As long as you don't put too much strain on it, you should be fine."

Sam smiles, like that's good enough for her, and hands the bottle back.

-

"I could have made it, you know. I just needed a couple more tries -"

Jennifer's knee brushes Sam's, and she bites her lip.

"- not like it did us any good, anyway, the ground wasn't -"

Sam throws her head back as she takes a drink; Jennifer tries not to trace the line of her neck.

"- those kids. They never like me, you know, and it's not like -"

Sam's chair moves closer to hers; her hand falls, almost accidentally, low on Jennifer's thigh.

"- not half as bad as the time we were -"

Sam smiles sideways at Jennifer as their fingers clasp together, and Jennifer's not really any better at this, except it's better than rusted underground chambers and rope swings over bottomless chasms.

"- Telya had to - well, you'd know all about that, of course, except it was -"

The alcohol hardly burns any more, and Jennifer leans forward, her leg pressing against Sam's.

"If you wanted, I could -"

"You know, I think I should probably get some rest." Sam stands up, a little unsteady, and Jennifer's not sure if it's from the alcohol or the broken leg or -

"Did you -"

"Actually, it's been a long day. Rain check?"

She doesn't bother to watch Rodney's reaction; Sam shoots her a last look over her shoulder, and Jennifer's legs shake a little as she stands.

And it's not like she expected this, at all. But maybe she should check on Sam's leg, just in case.


End file.
